A/74/PV.47 General Assembly

The General Assembly will now consider the reports of the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee) on agenda items 47 to 59, 121 and 136. I request the Rapporteur of the Committee, Mr. Juan Antonio Benard Estrada of Guatemala, to introduce to introduce the reports of the Fourth Committee in one statement. Mr. Benard Estrada (Guatemala) (spoke in Spanish) Rapporteur of the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee): I have the honour to introduce to the General Assembly the reports of the Special Political and Decolonization Commission (Fourth Committee) submitted under agenda items 47 to 59, 121 and 136. The reports, contained in documents A/74/406 to A/74/420, include the texts of draft resolutions and decisions recommended to the General Assembly for adoption. For the convenience of delegations, a checklist has been prepared by the Secretariat showing actions taken in the Committee, which is contained in document A/C.4/74/INF/3. During the main part of the seventy-fourth session, the Fourth Committee held a total of 25 formal meetings, during the course of which it adopted 35 draft resolutions and 3 draft decisions, including its programme of work for the seventy-fifth session of the General Assembly. The first report, submitted under agenda item 47, “Assistance in mine action”, is contained in document A/74/406. The draft resolution submitted under this agenda item is contained in paragraph 8 of the report. The Fourth Committee heard a statement by the Under- Secretary-General for Peace Operations, in which he presented the report of the Secretary-General on assistance in mine action (A/74/288). The second report, submitted under agenda item 48, entitled “Effects of atomic radiation”, is contained in document A/74/407. The draft resolution submitted under this agenda item is contained in paragraph 8 of the report. The third report, submitted under agenda item 49, “International cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space”, is contained in document A/74/408 and contains a draft resolution in paragraph 10. During its consideration of the item, the Fourth Committee held a number of meetings of the Working Group of the Whole, chaired by the delegation of Brazil. The fourth report, submitted under agenda item 50, “United Nations Public Works and Relief Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East”, is contained in document A/74/409. The Fourth Committee considered the report of the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (A/74/13), as well as other relevant reports. The Committee adopted four draft resolutions related to various aspects of the work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, as contained in paragraph 16 of the report. The fifth report, submitted under agenda item 51, “Report of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories,” is contained in document A/74/410. The Fourth Committee considered the fifty-first report of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arab Inhabitants of the Occupied Territories (A/74/356), as well as other reports by the Secretary- General. The Fourth Committee proposes for adoption four draft resolutions, contained in paragraph 16 of its report. The sixth report, submitted under agenda item 52, “Comprehensive review of the whole question of peacekeeping operations in all their aspects”, is contained in document A/74/411. The Fourth Committee heard introductory statements by the Under-Secretary- General for Peace Operations, the Under-Secretary- General for Operational Support and the Under- Secretary-General for Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance. Many of the issues raised during the general debate held under this agenda item will be further considered by the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations at its 2020 session, the report of which will be considered by the Fourth Committee in a resumed session in the first half of 2020. The seventh report of the Committee, submitted under agenda item 53, “Comprehensive review of the special political missions”, is contained in document A/74/412 and contains a draft resolution in paragraph 8. The Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs introduced to the Committee the report of the Secretary-General on overall policy matters pertaining to special political missions (A/74/338). The Fourth Committee also heard a statement by the Under- Secretary-General for Operational Support. The eighth report, submitted under agenda item 54, “Questions relating to information”, is contained in document A/74/413. The Fourth Committee considered the report submitted by the Committee on Information (A/74/21) and the related report of the Secretary- General (A/74/283), and was informed by the Under- Secretary-General for Global Communications about the Department’s ongoing initiatives to disseminate the message of the United Nations worldwide. The Fourth Committee adopted draft resolution A, entitled “Information in the service of humanity”, and draft resolution B, entitled “United Nations global communications policies and activities”. Both draft resolutions are contained in paragraph 9 of the report. With regard to the cluster of items on the non-self- governing territories and the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples  — agenda items 55 to 59  — the Fourth Committee considered those five items together. The Committee held a general debate on those issues and heard 130 petitioners on the various non-self- governing territories, as well as the Special Adviser to the Chief Minister and Overseas Representative of Her Majesty’s Government of Anguilla, the President of French Polynesia, the Deputy Chief Minister of Gibraltar, the Vice Governor of Guam and the Prime Minister of Montserrat. For the consideration of those items, the General Assembly has before it the following five reports. The report submitted under agenda item 55, “Information from Non-Self-Governing Territories transmitted under Article 73 e of the Charter of the United Nations”, is contained in document A/74/414. The draft resolution submitted under this agenda item is contained in paragraph 7 of the report of the Fourth Committee. The report submitted under agenda item 56, entitled “Economic and other activities which affect the interests of the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories,” is contained in document A/74/415. The draft resolution submitted under this agenda item is contained in paragraph 7 of the report. The report submitted under agenda item 57, entitled “Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples by the specialized agencies and the international institutions associated with the United Nations”, is contained in document A/74/416. The draft resolution submitted under that agenda item is contained in paragraph 7 of the report. The report on agenda item 58, “Offers by Member States of study and training facilities for inhabitants of Non-Self-Governing Territories”, is contained in document A/74/417. The draft resolution submitted under that agenda item is contained in paragraph 7 of the report. The report on agenda item 59, “Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples”, is contained in document A/74/418. In connection with that agenda item, the Fourth Committee adopted a number of draft resolutions and one draft decision on matters related to the implementation of the Declaration and non-independent territories discussed in paragraphs 39 and 40 of the report. Concerning agenda item 121, “Revitalization of the work of the General Assembly”, the draft decision containing the proposed programme of work and timetable of the General Assembly is in paragraph 6 of document A/74/419. The Fourth Committee recommends that the General Assembly adopt the draft decision. The Fourth Committee did not consider it necessary at this stage to address agenda item 136, entitled “Programme planning”, as indicated in its report contained in document A/74/420. I have the honour of presenting to the General Assembly, for its consideration and adoption, the draft resolutions and decisions recommended by the Special Political and Decolonization Committee and contained in documents A/74/406 to A/74/410 and A/74/412 to A/74/419. I take this opportunity to acknowledge the high level of cooperation in the work of the Special Political and Decolonization Committee. The Committee discharged the mandate entrusted to it by the General Assembly and concluded its work in an effective and constructive manner within the time allotted by the Assembly. I wish to express, on behalf of the Bureau of the Committee, our sincere appreciation to all delegations for their constructive participation during the session. Before concluding, I would like to pay special tribute to the Chair of the Fourth Committee, His Excellency Mr. Mohammed Hussein Bahr Aluloom of Iraq, whose knowledge and experience enabled the Committee to consider in depth all the agenda items assigned to it. The other members of the Bureau — Ms. Andrea Bacher of Austria, Mr. Ahidjo of Cameroon and Mr. Peter Pindják of Slovakia — with whom I had the pleasure of working, also contributed greatly to the success of the Committee’s work. I also wish to place on record our appreciation for the competent and effective assistance provided by the Committee’s secretariat, which is part of the Disarmament and Peace Affairs Branch of the Department for General Assembly and Conference Management, namely, Ms. Sangeeta Sharma, Ms. Christa Giles, Ms. Claudia Gross, Mr. Vincent Wilkinson and Mr. Martin Vrastiak. Their work and dedication no doubt contributed to the performance of the Committee.

I thank the Rapporteur of the Fourth Committee. The positions of delegations regarding the recommendations of the Committee have been made clear in the Committee and are reflected in the relevant official records. Therefore, if there is no proposal under rule 66 of the rules of procedure, I shall take it that the General Assembly decides not to discuss the reports of the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee) which are before the Assembly today.